Rotatable handle for tennis racket



0d;- 20, 1970 F, HANKs 3,534,960

ROTATABLE HANDLE FOR A TENNIS RACKET Filed Feb. 19, 1969 INVENTOR FLETCHER HANKS P17. 4

Mal a. 4;

A'IT RNEY United States Patent 01 ice 3,534,960 Patented Oct. 20, 1970 3,534,960 ROTATABLE HANDLE FOR TENNIS RACKET Fletcher Hanks, P.0. Box 70, Easton, Md. 21601 Filed Feb. 19, 1969, Ser. No. 800,635 Int. Cl. A63b 49/00 11.5. CI. 273-75 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A holder is provided which is readily attachable to the handle of a conventional racquet and which receives the hand of the player in a single position but permits the player to easily, quickly and accurately rotate the handle to move the playing face into a desired ball-contacting position.

The present invention relates to game apparatus wherein there is a handle to be gripped by the player which carries a ball-contacting portion, such as a tennis racquet or a racquet for playing squash, badminton, ping pong, etc.: the game being such that the position of the grip of the players hand with respect to the playing face or ballcontacting portion of the racquet varies from time to time.

It is of course very well-known that in the playing of tennis and like games the relative positions of the grip of the playing hand of the player with respect to the ballcontacting portion of the racquet is of utmost importance, such as from volley position to back-hand position, etc; and that from time to time even the most expert and skilled players fail to judge the exactly proper position.

Accordingly, it is among the objects of the invention to provide a device which is attachable to the handle of a conventional racquet and which may be quickly and easily adjusted in such manner as to assure the exactly proper position of the players hand with respect to the playing face or ball-contacting portion.

Another object is the provision of a device having the foregoing advantages which may not only be effectively used by skilled and unskilled players alike but which may be simply and inexpensively manufactured, quickly and easily attached to the handle of the racquet, and which is durable in service.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, and from the ac companying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view illustrating the device of the invention as applied to the handle of a tennis racquet or the like and as gripped in the right hand of a player.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the inner tube or sleeve which is adapted to telescope over and make contact with the handle of the racquet.

FIG. 3 is a view which is similar to that of FIG. 1, but wherein. the hand of the player has been omitted, and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, which illustrates in detail the manner in which the inner and outer tubular components are constructed and arranged with respect to each other.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates a tube of light-gauge aluminum, stainless steel, or other suitable material which is telescoped over the handle portion A of a conventional playing racquet. Since the handles of all playing racquets of a given class, such as tennis racquets, vary relatively little in cross-sectional size and contour, the metallic tube 2 may be provided in but three simple sizes, i.e. large, medium and small. However, the tube 2 may, if desired be provided at either end with a suitable clamp of any one of a number of readily available types. 0n the other hand, if the device of the invention is intended for permanent installation the handle of the racquet may be shaveddown to size.

In any event, the tube 2 is secured to the handle of the racquet in such manner as to prevent its relative movement with respect thereto. Telescoped over the tube 2 is a tubular sleeve 4, the inside diameter of which is but slightly larger than the outside diameter of the former.

Formed in adjacent-1y opposite portions of the inner tube 2 and the outer tubular member 4, and adjacent their forward and rearward ends, are bearing races 5 and 6, respectively, which receive between them a series of ball-bearings 8 to thus permit the free and easy rotational movement of the tubular sleeve 4 with respect to the tube 2.

Adjacent the forward end of the tubular sleeve 4 is a raised fairing 10 which is contoured to fit between the outer and inner edges of the forefinger and thumb, respectively, of the hand of the player.

Adjacent its rearward end (i.e. most remote from the playing face of the racquet) the tubular sleeve 4 carries a slidably disposed collar 12 having a forward edge 14 which is faired or contoured to fit against the back edge of the hand of the player, said collar having a reenforced portion, or boss 16 having an internally screw-threaded aperture for receiving the externally screw-threaded shank 20 of a wing-nut 21. Thus, the collar 12 with its fairing 14 may be readily adjusted with respect to the forwardly disposed raised fairing 10 and the hand of the player which is disposed therebetween.

Pivotally mounted on the exterior of the tubular sleeve 4, and closely adjacent its forward edge, is a longitudinally extending lever 23.

The forward end of this longitudinally extended pivoted lever 23 projects beyond the forward edge of the tubular sleeve 4 and provides a flattened area 24 to be engaged and depressed toward the axis of the inner tube 2 by the thumb of the hand of the player.

The reanwardly extending end of the pivotally mounted lever 23 is provided with a right-angularly, and inwardly, extending dog 26 which is adapted to be received in any one of a plurality of circumferential-1y spaced apertures or detents 28 on the adjacent portion of the periphery of the inner tube 2.

According to the foregoing construction and arrangement, the position of the inner end of the longitudinally extending pivoted lever 23 with its inwardly extending dog 26 as seated in one of the spaced apertures or detents determines the position of the tubular sleeve 4 with respect to the inner tube 2 which is telescoped over, and secured to, the handle of the racquet.

In order to prevent the over-travel of the tubular sleeve 4 with respect to the inner tube 2, and accordingly the handle of the racquet, said sleeve is provided on its forward edge with a tab 32 which moves in a slot or shallow elongate recess 34 in the adjacent portion of the inner tube until it makes contact with the opposite ends thereof.

According to the foregoing construction and arrangement of parts, the player is enabled, due to the fairings 10 and 14, to more firmly grip the racquet through the tubular sleeve 4, inner tube 2, etc.; and also accommodate the playing face of the racquet to the desired angularity without any change in the players grip.

The invention, therefore, is well-adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as others inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for the purposes of the disclosure, numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encom' passed within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, a tennis racquet and hand holder, said racquet including a handle at one end and an enlarged ball-hitting portion at the other end, said holder comprising:

a sleeve member adapted to be gripped by the player;

means for mounting said sleeve member on the handle of the racquet;

said means being secured against relative movement with respect to said handle but permitting the partial rotation of said sleeve;

means for locking said sleeve member in at least two difierent racquet-holding positions; and

means operable by the player for locking and unlocking said last-named means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein one of said positions is coordinated With the volley hand grip of the player and the other coordinated with the back-hand grip thereof.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the last-named means comprises a resiliently mounted lever which is depressible by the thumb of the player and operable to re- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,544,226 6/1925 De Bus 273-81 1,676,270 7/1928 Mattison 273-193 X 2,225,839 12/1940 Moore 2738l 3,203,697 8/1965 Berzatzy 27375 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,501 1908 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner R. J. APLEY, Assistant Examiner 

